Advocacy as a Way of Life

Notes by Vajra Allen

Panelists: Robert Harkins, Planned Parenthood; Steve Daschle, Southwest Youth and Family Services; Chris Peterson, Seattle Audubon; Ginny English, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

Nonprofits are engines of social changes

• Social change happens in environment of advocacy

Advocacy is an inherent part of the mission of every nonprofit

Nonprofits have a duty to empower those that they serve

• They need to teach clients to seize their own power

Funding is driven by the way government chooses to spend money, so nonprofits have to convince politicians that their cause is worth funding.

Seattle Audubon does advocacy through education.

• Advocacy is part of the continuum of the organizational lifecycle

To do effective advocacy you must know your topic.  There truly is power in the pen.

As you organize, create ever-broadening circles of influence.  This should include joining a coalition to advocate for your issue.

Activist Tool-kit from Audubon online—classes available.  This is useful for  any nonprofit not just environmental nonprofits.  See handout

If money is available, hire a communications director that can focus on advocacy.  Send you message in as many ways as possible: Visual, Vocal, and Written.

What is Advocacy?

• Give voice to your heart

• Communication to effect change

• Selling your product

• Any activity you undertake in which you ask someone else to take action

• Think, vote, go to a health clinic etc

Many organizations don’t recognize that they are doing advocacy and almost every org is doing some advocacy at some level.  Even putting up posters is advocacy.

Encourage people to exercise their own power (ie voting) and tell legislators that they vote and support certain issues.

Stay on target—advocacy is endless

Coalitions do a good job of creating a focused message and have more impact.

People have a right and responsibility to talk to everyone and see their point of view.

• You will be changed and they will be changed

We need to overcome the apathy of the American people. 

• Connect with those that we serve and appeal to their passions

When you advocate for a cause, for every donor you lose you can add two.

Nonprofits should push boundaries for 501(c)(3)

• Can do any advocacy up to advocating for a candidate

• Advocacy work has to be less than 20% of the budget